Zika Virus

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that made its way into international headlines in the last year. Dr. Edward Hill tells us more about Zika in todays 60 Second Housecall.

Dr. Hill:

Zika virus disease is a disease caused by the Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

People usually dont get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika forest in Uganda. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil and in February 2016, the World Health Organization declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern.

Specific areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission are often difficult to determine and are likely to change over time. If traveling, please visit the CDC Travelers Health site for the most updated travel information.